Bright
by TheRookieKing412
Summary: Fakiru Week 2019: Selkie au. In which Fakir is cursed and the cute new girl in town is really pushing his buttons.
1. Seasalt

Fakir gave a terrible sigh as he read through his report.

Who was he to get rid of the gopher problem in Mrs. Holden's front garden?

It would be easy, he would just have to write a story where Mytho could draw them out and drive them away, and publish it in the paper, it wouldn't be front page, but what was in this town?

No, the dilemma was that he didn't wish to take control of Mytho in such away, abuse his helpfulness and his insane ability to be halfway decent at any and every job.

It wasn't fair; it wasn't.

Not to Fakir, not to Mytho, to Mrs. Holden, or even the stupid gophers.

"Are you still fretting about the gopher problem?" Autor scoffed, perched on the corner of Fakir's desk, he crossed his arms and smiled down at Fakir in that arrogant manner that only Autor could muster without feeling like a giant dick about it.

"I'd rather not control gophers, it would be a waste of paper." He said, even though he didn't care if it was a waste.

It didn't matter what he said to Autor, he never understood Fakir's reluctance to write any story ever.

Autor was desperate, desperate to even get a small taste of the abilities Fakir possessed.

But it wasn't in his blood.

It wasn't Fakir's fault that he was a direct descendant of Drosselmeyer, and if he had the chance, he would give Autor his pen, the ink, and the paper and let him write reality.

"So, did you read my story? About the pie contest?"

Fakir rolled his eyes, poising his pen above the paper but never pressing down. "The one you wrote three months ago?"

His smile, it shouldn't have been possible, got more condescending, "Well I was able to control the outcome. Some of it, anyway."

"Mm, which part?"

"The newcomer. The out of towner. A mysterious girl entering our yearly pie contest."

"Did she win?" That's what he had written, as much as Fakir could recall.

Autor deflated, but it didn't mean he was no longer haughty, oh no, that would never happen. "No, quite the opposite in fact."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, the pie she made was burnt to a crisp on the outside, but not cooked on the inside. The berries she used were still frozen."

Fakir furrowed his eyebrows. "What? How do you do that?"

"Well, why don't you interview her? She's still there."

Fakir looked down at the pie. It was completely black. He knocked on it and it crumbled in on itself.

"Oh! That's mine!" A little voice called out, and he turned around.

She was…

Interesting.

To say the least.

"Ahiru?" He asked.

She smiled, and it was so pretty he almost forgot that she couldn't bake to save her life.

She was a dainty little thing, with tanned skin, and freckles, so many freckles, covering her nose, her neck, her hands.

It was almost annoying how many she had.

"Yep." She said, sticking out her hand, and when he shook her hand, it was so small in his own.

"My name is Fakir, I work for the paper in town, we wanted to get an interview with you."

"Oh! Wouldn't you want an interview with the winner?"

Her thin brows knit together in confusion, a pale color that matched her hair, he didn't want to call it orange, it was so much prettier than orange, maybe a strawberry blonde, or peach.

And he couldn't help but look into her eyes, confused and a little lost, but bluer than the ocean, pale, but long lashes fluttered gently.

Fakir looked over at who held the blue ribbon, but it was Ebine, and she won every year.

"We're more interested in how you managed to bring a burnt, yet frozen pie."

She laughed and blushed in embarrassment. "Oh, of course."

Perhaps it was inappropriate, but he let his eyes wander down her torso and her legs, and he couldn't help but notice the jacket she had tied around her waist.

It looked like it was crafted out of fur, silver fur, with black dots, reminiscent of a baby seal.

It was strange that she would even think of bringing such a heavy jacket, but she smiled and it slipped from his mind.

He hated her.

He decided he hated her.

She was the worst person in town and he hoped he never had to see her again.

Ever.

He hoped she was just visiting a grandmother and would go home as soon as possible.

He walked into the office and threw down his notebook and fell into his chair.

"Did you get it?" Autor asked.

"No." Fakir rubbed his eyes, pointing to his notebook. "I couldn't get a straight answer out of her. I've never interviewed anyone so moronic."

"Well, maybe your questions were too hard again."

"I asked the 'who, what, when, where, why, and how' and she kept avoiding my questions, talking about other things." He groaned. "How hard is it to answer 'how did you manage to burn and freeze your pie'?"

Autor shook his head. "Well, you can still write a story, you can quote me."

"No one wants to hear what you have to say, Autor."

Autor muttered something to himself, but Fakir was too outraged to say anything else.

He spent two hours trying to get a decent quote from her, and nothing.

Nothing!

If he ever saw her again he was sure he would strangle her.

He was going to go to jail.

He was going to go to jail, go to trial, get convicted for life, and spend the rest of his miserable life in prison.

"What do you mean you're friends with her?" He asked, a little more violently than he had to.

Mytho only smiled, wearing a plastic apron, he shrugged. "She's nice to talk to."

Fakir run a hand into his hair and pulled as hard as he could.

Fakir had come to talk to Mytho about the gopher problem, maybe if Mytho just did it willingly, and then failed to do it Fakir would feel comfortable writing a happy ending to such a sorrowful tale, only to find him at Ebine's in the back with Ahiru.

There was a small scream that came from the dish pit.

"I should get back and help her, she doesn't really know how to use the sink like I do."

"Then what is she doing back there?" Fakir asked through gritted teeth.

"Well, today Ebine asked if I could come in and serve, and I did, but then the dishwasher got sick and I couldn't just leave her hanging so I volunteered, oh but before that Ahiru came in and she was at my table and I told her I couldn't finish being her server and what was happening and she offered to help! Isn't that nice of her?"

Fakir ran a rough hand up his face. "Yes, very nice of her."

"I think I'm going to invite her to dinner on Friday."

"No! Don't do that!"

Mytho tilted his head. "Why not Fakir?"

"Because I hate her."

"Oh Fakir don't be silly, you couldn't hate anyone."

Fakir groaned. "I'm not you Mytho, I don't love everybody. And. I. Hate. Her."

"Mytho?" It was her. "I think I did something wrong."

Mytho smiled and shrugged, moving back into the kitchen, he cooed, "You got all wet!"

Fakir turned on his heel and marched out of the establishment.

Friday came too soon and when Fakir knocked on Charon's door, it was thrown open by Raetsel.

"Fakir, you have to come meet Mytho's new friend, she's an absolute doll."

"I've already met her."

Fakir was pushed inside by Raetsel, even as he ground his heels into the floor, she dug her nails into his shoulder.

Ahiru was in the kitchen, holding a stack of plates and placing them on the table, still in that fur jacket.

"Oh! Hello Fakir." She smiled and it was almost contagious.

Almost.

"Ahiru." He said, it was cold, and perhaps she didn't deserve it, and as he said it, her smile disappeared and it almost made him feel bad, but then he remembered how impossible she was and he didn't feel as bad.

Autor was sitting in his chair as Ahiru placed a plate in front of him. "Fakir, Ahiru here was telling me all about the pie contest and how it happened." He smirked. Great, now he would think he was the superior interviewer.

"It's rather embarrassing." Ahiru laughed.

"Not at all," Raetsel said. "It happens to the best of us."

"What happened?" Fakir asked.

"Oh, well-" Ahiru started. "The pie is my mother's recipe, you freeze the berries to help keep the flavor, and you're supposed to leave it in the oven at three-fifty for two hours, but I was running late! So I set it to five hundred-"

"Five hundred." He said. She was an idiot.

She giggled. "But after half an hour it started smoking and the pie was on fire! So I took it out and stuck it under the sink, but-"

"Right." He said. He sat down in his chair, and much to his absolute delight, the extra place setting his family set up for Ahiru was right next to him. How lovely!

She was stuck between him and Raetsel, and the whole night was turned on her, who she was, where she was from and it turned out she could answer questions.

So long as they weren't from him.

It seemed she had a bias against him as well.

It was Raetsel, however who took the most interest in her.

"And your coat, where did you get it?" Raetsel asked, and it made Ahiru visibly uncomfortable.

"It was a gift from my mother!" She said with uncertainty in her voice.

"I used to have one like it." Raetsel said, her eyes boring into Ahiru's.

"You did?" Ahiru asked shyly.

Raetsel nodded. "I did. You're twenty, soon to turn twenty one?"

"Next March."

It was odd, sitting next to them and not being a part of their conversation, but Fakir took the chance to be observant.

The nervousness left Ahiru's face and she looked at Raetsel with admiration.

"Don't lose that coat." She said. "You'll regret it."

There was a silence, and for a moment Fakir forgot his blatant hatred towards the girl sitting next to him.

"Well." Charon cleared his throat and threw his napkin on the table. "How about some dessert?"

Fakir left some time after the dishes were cleaned, but still he could only think about how intense Raetsel got, how serious she had become.

In all the years he had known Raetsel she never looked like that.

Saturday was his day off, and the one day of the week he liked to go to the bookstore and pick up a new book, or even just look around and see what there was to see.

And it was just luck that she was there, standing in the doorway with a broom.

What was she doing?

"You're in my way."

She made a frighted sound that was half way between a scream and a quack. "I'm sor- oh, it's only you."

"What are you doing here?" He asked, walking away from the door and going to the shelf he left off last time.

"If you must know, I got a job here!"

He stopped in his tracks and she ran into him. "What?"

"I work here. Now. I work here now." She smiled, why was she always smiling? What was with her? It was ridiculous. "I was telling Miss. Raetsel about it before you came."

He nodded. What did he have to do to get her out of his life?

In the five days he had known her, she had always been there, almost everyday he saw her, it was getting on his nerves.

Was this the curse his father was trying to tell him about before he died? An annoying red head was going to walk into your life and ruin you forever?

And he still had the gopher problem to worry about.

He was slowly getting used to her presence, everywhere he went, there she was.

Raetsel picked her up right after that Friday dinner, and soon they were meeting and conversing on a weekly basis.

Mytho became fast friends with the girl, and Fakir couldn't get himself to believe that Mytho would ever betray him in such a way.

Charon invited her to every Friday dinner for the next foreseeable future.

Autor however was the only one who had not clung to her like a leech, as the others did.

"She's alright. But be careful Fakir." He said. "You have that curse."

"What?" Fakir turned on Autor immediately, slamming his palms down onto Autor's desk and making him fall out of his chair. "What did you say?"

Autor quirked a brow. "The curse? You don't know? Drosselmeyer's curse."

Fakir lowered his own eyebrows, casting a cold glare at Autor, "Yes I know about the curse."

"But do you know what it entails? Or even how it came to be?"

Fakir clenched his jaw, he hated it when Autor knew something he didn't. It only made Autor worse. "No."

Autor smirked and stood, dusting the seat of his pants before leisurely sitting back down. "Well, back when Drosselmeyer was still writing his works, he wrote a short story, a fairy tale, about a selkie who fell in love with a human. The poor human didn't love the selkie, and Drosselmeyer made her commit suicide, turning into seafoam. But, the selkie's mother didn't like that. She came onto shore, and cursed Drosselmeyer, all the men of his line would fall in love with a selkie and be heartbroken. It happened to Uncle Adam and now it's happening to you."

"What do you mean?"

Autor smirked. "Ahiru's a selkie."

Fakir scoffed. "Selkie's aren't real, and Ahiru will not break my heart."

"You don't believe in selkies?"

"No."

"You have the ability to control reality with just your fingers, and yet a Selkie is too far fetched?"

"You're full of it." Fakir said instead.

But he couldn't help but wonder.

Everytime he saw her, she wore that stupid jacket, and he even noticed that the hood had a little seal's face on it.

But Selkie's didn't wear their coat on land, he knew that much.

It was just a strange attachment she had for her mother's gift.

Until one night.

It was a small town, where he lived, in the middle of a forest, and the one asset they had was a large lake that they lived next to.

In summer, it was a tourist attraction, and he was used to people coming with their dried, creaking boats to come and abuse the lake, to go swimming and fishing, and camping.

Every once in a while, he liked to go there as well, not to swim, or fish or go boating, but just to sit and watch the water.

It was a night unlike any other, the moon was so full, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky, and it was so bright.

He came out to the private house that rested on the shore, it once belonged to someone, but it hadn't been lived in for over two decades.

He had heard rumors that someone bought the place again.

Fakir liked to take advantage of the house's property line, the park rangers that guided people to different areas of the lake for recreation lead people away from the houses, and thus it remained private.

Fakir came out of the forest and to the water's edge and there it was even brighter as the moon reflected off the lake's choppy surface.

It was a sight to see for sure, it must have been a super moon, some awesome astronomical phenomenon that only happened every five years, and as he stopped to admire the moon, he almost missed the thing rising from the water.

There was a soft bark, and his eyes shot to the water, hoping someone didn't abandon their pet. No one had, it seemed, because what he thought was a dog was actually a seal.

"What the-?" He whispered to himself, but was frozen in place.

The seal, with it's silver coat and dark grey spots, stopped just before the shore and with a flipper, it reached up and pulled off a hood.

It was almost terrifying to watch, as if the seal had figured out how to skin itself, but then he saw a face, and hair, a long braid that fell over her shoulder.

Ahiru stood, the water lapping at her feet as she shrugged the jacket off her naked shoulders.

She tied it around her waist and walked onto the shore, she bent down to pick up a pair of sandals and walked up to the house that sat on the edge of the lake.

And, dumbfounded, he stayed there.

Autor was right.

Fakir came the next night, at what he thought was the same time, and waited for a while, but grew impatient and went to the house instead.

It was dark, but that didn't mean she wasn't there, and he pounded on the door.

"Ahiru?" He called out.

He heard a small gasp and when he looked over, he saw her, just as naked, the jacket wrapped around her waist, her sandals in her hand.

And she ran away.

He gave chase.

"Ahiru, wait!"

"Why should I!" She called back, and it was a good point.

"I'm not going to hurt you!" He came to a halt, he was too late, she stood at the edge of the water.

"How do I know that?" She asked. "I know you don't like me."

"No offense, but you were being difficult."

"W-well! I wasn't prepared to have a bunch of questions fired at me!"

Fakir sighed. "Alright. Alright. I'm sorry."

She paused. "What?"

"I apologize! Jesus- I'm sorry!"

She turned back and smiled at him. "I'm sorry too!"

"W- what are you?"

She looked down at the water, she picked up her foot and swirled it around. "I'm a selkie."

He offered her his jacket, if she put hers on, it would only make her a seal, and she lead him back to her house.

She told him about her mother, a full blooded selkie from the sea, one day she came ashore and left her coat in the sand, and a man came by, taking it in his hand, he thought someone lost it, and tried to return it, but when Ahiru's mother saw him, she fell in love and when he saw her, he fell just as quick. She urged him to put the coat on, and he took her home.

"Here." Ahiru said, smiling. "This town is where my father lived."

They lived together, but it was difficult, she longed to be by the sea, and they moved once she grew pregnant.

"My sister. Rue."

Rue was born a half selkie.

"Meaning, that when she turned twenty one she would have to choose, to remain selkie or human."

"Isn't that redundant? She would still be able to turn into a human if she remained selkie."

"Well, yes, but only for short periods of time, unless someone stole her coat. Besides, the choice was easy for her. She loved ballet, she wanted to dance and teach others. Back home she has her own studio."

The choice was easy for Rue, but not Ahiru.

"I love ballet too, but I don't want to just stay human for the same reason Rue chose to be human, I want to be my own person."

So she came here, the place where her parents were first married, in hopes she could settle her mind.

Selkie, or human?

"For Rue, it was obvious, she loved ballet, and I love ballet too, but-" Ahiru smiled sweetly, she looked out the window, to the lake. "I love being a selkie, too."

Fakir decided he needed to protect her.

If anyone else found out what she was…

It made him scared, he didn't know what they would do, what would happen to her, he wanted to protect her.

It was a learning process, learning that he wanted to protect her while he thought he hated her. Learning to let his first impression melt away, to learn that she wasn't the enemy.

She liked him, he learned, she thought he was smart, kind, and a good person.

"It's one of the selkie gifts, I can read people like a book, I can read their auras and their emotions. Not what their thinking, I'm sure it would make it easier to understand what a person's feeling because of what their thinking. But I think that would be rude, knowing someone's thoughts. Very intrusive."

Another thing he had learned was that she was talkative, she could rattle off paragraphs in one breath.

"Breathe." He would say, and she would take a deep breath before continuing.

It made her laugh, and seeing her laugh made him smile and feel light.

Soon, she invited him over for dinner on days other than Friday.

The first time he came, he made the mistake of thinking he was going to be fed, only to find Ahiru burning pasta.

"Is that a selkie thing, too?" He asked, turning off the stove. "Having the inability to cook with fire?"

When he came, he brought his own groceries, prepared to make dinner for her.

On Saturdays, he would go to the bookshop in the afternoon rather than the morning, and stay there until she got off work before taking her home to make her dinner.

It felt natural to him, suddenly his life revolved around Ahiru.

"Are you and Ahiru dating?"

Fakir choked on his coffee and couldn't stop it from spilling onto his shirt.

Mytho snickered into his hand. "It's only natural, you spend almost waking second with her."

"I am not."

It was an awkward conversation to have with Mytho, but when he had the same conversation with Raetsel, it was… Strange.

"Fakir." She asked at dinner. "Can I talk to you outside?"

He agreed, because what was he supposed to do? Say no?

They stepped outside and she closed the door behind, and asked him the same question, it didn't startle him as much this time, but it was still annoying.

"No, I'm not. We're not."

She nodded. "Do you love her?"

"What? No, of course not."

"Are you sure?"

Fakir raised an eyebrow at her, but he said that he was sure.

"She's watching."

Fakir was slow to turn around, careful not to let Ahiru know they were on to her.

"She likes you, she told me."

"I know she does." He said. What was Raetsel doing, she was too serious again.

"Stay away from her."

He turned his head sharply. "What?"

"She's almost twenty-one. A decision has to be made."

"What do you know about that?"

Raetsel clenched her jaw. "You'll break her heart."

"Raetsel, do you really think I'm capable of that?"

"She'll stay because of you and then she'll be filled with so much regret." She snatched his wrists and pinned them to his chest. "You can't do that to her."

"Do what?" He glared at her, although he was sure it would never affect her the way it affected others.

She looked surprised. "She hasn't told you?"

"Told me what?"

She let his wrists go and she went to the door, but stopped before she went inside. "When she does tell you, tell her make the smart decision."

Ahiru went away for Christmas and he wished she had told him sooner, otherwise he wouldn't have gotten her a gift.

She was gone for three weeks and there was a loneliness he had never known.

It was strange, how it felt like his heart was ripped out of his chest, he had to remind himself not to go to the bookstore or her house on a daily basis, and when Christmas came, he exchanged presents with all who he knew except Ahiru.

She called the day before she came back, asking if he would pick her up from the bus stop, and as he waited the next day, she ran off the bus and wrapped her arms around him and she was already talking, her voice muffled by his chest.

"Slow down." He said. "I can't understand you."

She pulled back, grinning up at him, still wrapped warmly in his embrace. "I have so much to tell you! I got you a gift but I forgot to give it to you before I left and my-"

"Ahem."

"My sister is here." She finished.

Ahiru tried to pull away, but he didn't let her, holding her tightly to him instead.

Her sister, Rue, glared at him, she stood in a power stance, her footing wide, her arms crossed, and a glare that matched his in ferociousness.

She had on a brown leather coat.

Rue proved to be a problem.

She was an overprotective sister bearing down on Fakir, and the more time she spent with Fakir, the more she disliked him.

She moved in with Ahiru, too. So when he came over for dinner, they were already eating at the table.

"Fakir." She purred, raising a glass of red wine. "So sorry, I love making dinner for Ahiru."

And perhaps he shouldn't have, but the next time he came, he brought Mytho, knowing that he would be able to distract Rue long enough for Fakir to give Ahiru her gift in privacy.

And fortunately for Fakir, Mytho knew when to turn up the charm.

Mytho met her with a kiss on her knuckles and a sparkle in his eye and Fakir watched her cool composure falter.

He really shouldn't have.

It was dumb, he was an idiot.

Truly.

Not even a week past and the jacket Rue came to town in left her shoulders and now rested on Mytho's.

"You know what that means, right?"

Mytho smiled and nodded. "I do, I still want to propose though, make it proper. So you know then? About Ahiru?"

"Of course I do."

Mytho gave him a wider, more suggestive smile. "Has she ever offered you her coat?"

Fakir rolled his eyes. "No, I'm sorry but she hasn't."

He found her at the edge of the water, fully dressed, but sitting still, where water and land meet.

Her hair was loose, the ends floating in the water.

He sat next to her, just as much in the water as she is.

"Fakir?" She asked.

"Yes."

"Is it silly to follow your emotions?"

He looked at her, she was staring off into the water, lost. "No. Of course not."

"I think I want to stay human, no matter what Miss. Raetsel says." She smiles, leaning her head against the knees that are pulled to her chest. "I like having dinner with you, with Rue and Mytho, I like the Friday dinners, I like having a job, and I like-"

He waited for her to respond, but with a careful hand, tapped her leg.

She repositioned her head to look to him, and beamed. "I like you, Fakir. You're my best friend."

"It'll be March soon. How do you make the choice?"

"Rue said that she went out to the sea and she just knew, she could either put on her coat, and dive into the sea, or she could throw the coat into the sea. She threw her coat in."

"How'd she get it back?"

Ahiru shrugged. "It was back in her room the next morning."

"Do you need to go to the ocean to do so?"

Ahiru nodded. "I will, but I'll be back."

March came too soon.

He wanted her to stay, he was too afraid that if she left to the ocean and stood overlooking the waves, her heart would be sueded.

It shouldn't have mattered, whatever she chose, it was up to her, what she wanted to do, and no one could take that away from her.

Not even him.

It was the day before her birthday when he came, he knocked at their door, and of course it was Mytho who answered.

"You're wearing a leather jacket, but not pants?"

Mytho looked down at his bare legs, barely covered by the tails of his button up, and shrugged. "I don't like taking it off."

"But Ahiru's okay with you walking around pantless?" There was a slight tinge of disbelief in his voice.

"Oh, Ahiru's not here."

"What?" Fakir pushed past Mytho and walked into the house. "Where is she?"

"Quitting her job." Mytho said, too softly.

"What?" He said too sharply. "Why is she quitting her job?"

"She didn't say."

"Here." Fakir come to stand beside Mytho, shoving her present into his hand. "This is for her."

"She'll be back soon, you can say good-bye."

"There's no need." Fakir shut the door behind him. There had to be a reason she was quitting her job, unless…

The next day, she left.

He had gone back to her house, but this time Rue answered the door. "Relax." She said."She'll come back. Probably by tomorrow."

"Did she tell you what she was doing? If she was staying or-?"

"Well of course she-" But Rue paused. "She… Huh."

"What?"

Rue crossed her arms and walked away from him and he had no choice but to follow her inside.

"What did she say?"

Rue sat on the couch, and as soon as she did, Mytho laid his head in her lap. "She didn't tell me anything. She just said 'I'll see you tomorrow', but that means she's coming back, right?"

"She didn't tell you?" He could feel his heart hammering in his chest.

"It's not like she would just leave us without saying goodbye!" She said, but Fakir could tell that she was faltering in her resolve. Even she wasn't sure of what Ahiru was going to do.

Fakir groaned, making sure it was loud so Rue knew he was upset with her and went back to his house, to at least grab a change of clothes if he was going to take an overnight trip.

But when he got home, Raetsel was inside, at his table, waiting for when he would come back, helping herself to a cup of coffee; on the table was a leather jacket.

"I never told you." She said, running a finger over the leather. "But I was half selkie once. Like her."

"And?" He said. He didn't care anymore. Charon could be a centaur and he wouldn't care. Nothing surprised him anymore and more than anything he needed to get to Ahiru.

"I chose to stay human. I threw my coat into the sea for a man, I planned to give it to him, once it returned to me, but when I went to him, he said he didn't love me." Her eyes grew misty. "I wanted nothing but to throw myself into the sea, but I couldn't, not anymore. I told her to be wary, that men are selfish and stupid. There are no exceptions. Not even my own family."

"Raetsel, what did you do?"

"I convinced her to make the right choice."

He gritted his teeth and ran out of the house, missing the way Raetsel laid on the table, burying her face in the coat.

If Raetsel got to her, than she would throw herself into the sea and he would never see her again, he didn't know if he could take that.

He didn't know how to get to her hometown, he only had its name, but he rushed to get there, hoping he could find her in time, time to tell her that he-

But she deserved to stay based on her own free will, to stay or to go.

If she left, that would be her own choice, no matter what he said, what promises he made, he couldn't take her life away from her, whatever her life was going to be.

He could tell her, at least, and if she didn't feel the same way, he wouldn't hold her back. He didn't want to fill her with regret.

He didn't want her to live the way Raetsel lived.

It was so unlike him, but so human, to let the doubt creep in.

To seep into his heart, and let it break.

He found her parents first, not even in bed yet, waiting for the decision she had to make.

"Oh she's told us so much about you!" her mother said.

He nodded, a bit awkwardly. "Where is she?"

"Where does she like to go? Uhh-?" Her mother shut her eyes tight trying to think.

"Go south down the coastal highway for fifteen mintues and then turn off the road, it's not any place, but it's where she likes to go." Her father said.

"Thank you." Fakir said, rushing back to his car.

He went south for fifteen minutes and turned off the road sharply and found himself on a cliff overlooking the ocean.

He got out and slammed the door and looked for her.

It was bright again, terribly bright, and he wondered if the moon shone so brightly just as a selkie was making her choice.

It was easy to find her, the flat plain of the cliff before the drop off, she stood at the very edge, her coat fisted in her hand.

"Ahiru!" he cupped his hands together, calling after her, but she didn't even flinch.

He ran towards her.

His heart pounding, he couldn't lose her, not yet.

She turned to look at him and she grinned.

"I'm so happy you're here." She said, wrapping her arms around his torso, burying her cheek into his chest.

"Listen, Ahiru, before you go, I want to tell you something?"

"Before I go?"

"Ahiru, I love you." He held her face in his hands as he gently pushed her away. "I love you, I've been denying it for so long, but you left and I thought 'if I lose her, what will my life have been for?' don't go."

She giggled. "I'm not going anywhere! Where did you get that idea?"

"I- Raetsel said."

Her smile faded. "Miss. Raetsel made the wrong choice, but I'm not. I promise, I'm not." She lifted her hands up then, dropping her coat to the floor, she placed her hands on either side of his face, she ran her thumbs over his cheekbones. "I know you love me, I can read your emotions, remember?"

"Oh." He said.

"But, you can't read mine." She took his hands in her own and pulled away, smiling, she let go and bent down to pick up the coat. "Rue used to make fun of me for still having my baby coat, I should have a real one, like hers, by now. So," She went to the edge of the cliff and let the coat fall, it drifted gently until it landed on the water, it was dragged down by the sea's grabbing hands and it disappeared. She was no longer a selkie, she would be human forever. She turned back to Fakir. "I'm sorry I can't give you a better jacket to wear."

She ran back to him, jumped into his arms and she kissed him.

"I love you, Fakir."


	2. Moonlight

She was laughing and smiling the whole time.

He was so worried when he came and it was so obvious, to her it was obvious.

He was so filled with love. For her.

And how long had she known? Long enough that her decision was made easy.

It was more than just him, it was her sister, her mother and father, her new brother-in-law, it was the people she got to meet on a daily basis, but it was him, too.

Perhaps too much, it was easy to love him too, after he proved himself to her, his smile, his eyes, the small touches he would sneak, the top of her hand, her cheek, his gift of writing, no matter how he saw it, she thought it to be wonderful.

She felt tears run down her cheek as she looked at the coat in her hand, still that of a baby's, but she smiled, she knew in her heart she was making the right choice, a choice made for love.

He was there soon, just like she had hoped, not that he would chase after her, but that he would be there to see.

See that she chose him.

Covered in the colors of love and worry and loss and concern and heartbreak, it was almost overwhelming, but when she threw the coat over the side, it was all gone and she felt like she was seeing him for the first time.

There was no emotion blocking the features of his face from her eyes and the colors that surrounded him were that of his own rather than his own emotion.

She couldn't stop herself from running to him, from jumping into his arms because she knew without a doubt that he would catch her and she pressed her lips to his.

It was rather daring, but she finally felt free.

Her life had led up to this point, what she would do with her coat, and now it was over, now there were no expectations of her except to be happy, and happy she was.

His hands were on her thighs, holding her in place with strength, but gentleness.

"Fakir." She said, breathing his name against his lips, she lifted her hand to his cheek, running her thumb over his cheekbone, her knuckles over his jaw. She laughed.

He said her name, tilted his head to kiss her again, but she pulled away.

"Wait!" She said, giggling, she pressed her forehead to his. "Wait."

"For what?"

"I want to tell you something." She said.

"Anything." He said, his gaze resting on her lips.

"I love you."

"I know."

"But I wanted to tell you again." She kissed his forehead. "And again." The tip of his nose. "Again and again." Each of his cheeks.

"And again?" He asked, his eyes half lidded, staring at her lips still.

She moved her hand and it trembled when she lifted it, running the tips of her fingers over his bottom lip, she watched as they parted and he exhaled a shaky breath.

"Yes." She said, softer. He moved one hand higher on her thigh until it reached the small of her back. "Yes. And again."

But before she could move, he captured her lips with his own and she melted into his grasp, the hand on her back warm, the hand on her thigh warm, pressing into her skin.

He pulled back, resting his lips on her jaw, moving closer to her ear. "And I want to tell you something."

"What?"

He took her earlobe between his teeth, "I love you."

"I know." She said in a teasing manner, or tried to, her voice had turned breathy.

"I want to tell you again." He said, his lips pressed against where her jaw met her ear. "And again." He moved his mouth further down, his lips never even leaving her skin. "And again." She tilted her head back, "And again." wanting nothing more than for him to cover her completely in kisses. "And again." The wind blew and she shivered, the trail of wet skin cooled by the breeze. "And again." At the base of her neck, he latched onto the skin there with his teeth and sucked at the skin.

Ahiru moaned into the night sky, her legs tightening around his waist.

"I love you, Ahiru." He told her, his lips caressing her skin. "I'm sorry I didn't say so sooner."

"You didn't have to, I knew."

"Why didn't you say you loved me?" He asked, he ran his nose against her neck and her eyes fluttered shut.

"I- I was waiting for you to say it first." She grinned at him. "Ah! Fakir!"

He laughed against her collar bone and kissed the skin red from where he bit her. "I was suffering."

"You deserved it, you were so mean to me for no reason."

"Mmhmm." He said, his hand traveling up her back, he pressed her more firmly to his chest. "I did, didn't I?" He kissed her collar bone, sucking at a certain spot before kissing it and moving to the strap of her tank top, he reached up with his hand and with gentle fingers, let it fall off her shoulder.

She gasped lightly as he kissed up to her shoulder. "Fa- Fakir."

"Mm?" He hummed. "Is this okay?"

His other hand moved, the hand still latched to her thigh, to the hem of her shorts he drew lazy circles with his thumb and it made her ache.

"Yes, it is. Kiss me."

And he obeyed.

She wove her hands into his hair, keeping him in place as his lips mouthed against hers roughly, the tip of his tongue barely touched her lip before she opened her mouth to him. She moved against him slightly, climbing higher on his torso to get a better vantage.

He moved his own hand into her hair, twisting his fingers he pulled gently.

She gasped into his mouth and his tongue dove deeper before he pulled away, she whined, but only for a second. He took her bottom lip between his teeth and nibbled at it lightly.

She pressed her chest against his and when he stopped she pulled him back.

"I want you, Fakir." She said desperately.

He nodded. "I want you."

"Good." Her hands fell down to his chest, she scrunched up the fabric. "I want this off."

He laughed lightly. "I have to put you down, then."

He lowered her, but she didn't move away, her body still pressed to his.

He put both hands on her shoulders and took a step back.

Ahiru watched as he shrugged off his jacket and threw it to the side, she watched as he pulled his shirt over his head and it was unbelievably attractive to her.

She smiled and followed his lead, crossing her arms and pulling the shirt off of her and throwing it to the side.

And then she was glued to his front again, her eyes scanning over his chest, her hands running over him, just barely touching his bare skin, she pressed her ear to his chest and could hear his heartbeat.

"Have you ever…?"

She looked up at him and shook her head. "No, I haven't, but…" She stood up on her tiptoes, her hands reached around his neck to pull his head down closer to her. "I have an idea of what I'm doing." She kissed him again before her hands trailed down his chest, lightly scratching her nails against him until she met the denim top of his pants, and the brown leather belt.

He was quick to catch on, and soon her chest was completely bare to his eyes, to his touch, her bra added to the pile of discarded clothing.

"Can I-"

"I want you to touch me." Her chest heaved up and down, she was nervous, as much as she loved him, as much as she wanted this, it was still new.

He lowered his hand down from her shoulder and palmed her breast, and she gasped lightly.

"They're hard." He whispered, though it seemed strained.

He moved his hand, and placed his thumb on her nipple, circling it the same way he circled her thigh, slowly, thoughtfully, and painstakingly.

"P-please." She begged.

"Please what."

"Lay me down."

He nodded, kissing her neck he kneeled before her, trailing open kisses down her chest, her breasts, down her stomach, kissing the last to her navel. He ran his hands up her legs, coming just to the hem of her shorts, and stopping all too soon.

"F-Fakir."

"I know." He said, but did he?

Her heart was racing and she was sure her legs would give out soon, how had his hands turned her to mush? His kisses turned her to jelly and she could barely stand.

"Wait." He whispered, his hands still moving up and down her thighs, she ran her fingers into his hair, trying to steady herself.

His thumbs moved to her hem, but stopped short once again and she squirmed in his hands, and whined his name.

Slowly, his hand moved and came under the fabric, sliding over her hips, over the soft skin where her thighs met her body.

He was slow to take down her shorts until they were at her ankles, and he moved his thumbs to hook over the sides of her panties.

"May I-"

"Please!" She shouted, leaning her weight onto him.

"Stay standing." He said, and she stood.

The fabric scraped against her skin and the cool air touched her entire body, now naked under the bright, bright moon.

He pressed his face into her abdomen, kissing her slowly until his lips met the top of her mound of curls.

He ran his hands over her. "Lay down." He said, and she nearly collapsed.

She pressed her lips to his, needing release in some way, needing his skin to touch hers as much as possible.

She laid down on the rocks, soft from the foot traffic and moss.

He crawled over her, placing his hands on either side of her shoulders and looked down at her.

"Did I ever tell you?" He asked, he lowered his body, placing a knee between her legs. "I had never seen a single woman as alluring as you." He pressed his knee against her and she threw her head back. He rested one hand on her breast and trailed kisses down to the other. "Ever."

"No one?" She breathed into the night air.

He ran his tongue over her nipple, sucking on it and nipping it with his teeth. "No one." His hand pushed and molded her other breast, flicking and playing with her nipple however he wanted to play with it. "Not a single soul."

Her hands shot up, and her legs squeezed his pulling it closer, pressing it closer to herself, and she couldn't help herself as she bucked her hips against his thigh.

He stopped, ripping his mouth and hand away from her, taking his leg with him, and left her shivering without his touch.

"Why- why did you stop?" She asked, her breathing heavy and erratic.

"Did I?" He asked, quirking an eyebrow, and before she had a chance to answer, he dragged his hand down, his fingers tracing over her folds. "God, you're so wet."

She shuddered, he was teasing her again, making her wait.

His finger, still running over her labia, and his thumb, pressing against her clit, she bit her lip.

"Fakir." she moaned his name, and said it again when his finger dipped inside of her.

He pressed his lips to hers, silencing her as he plunged into her.

She had never been touched before, and as he touched her, it was almost unbearable.

She threw her head back, pulling away from his kiss, but he took advantage of her open neck and placed kisses there, sucking and nibbling when he saw fit.

"Fakir, I- I need-"

"Tell me what you need." He said, and started moving his hand faster.

"M-more! Please!"

"More what?" He asked, he sounded calm, but he wasn't.

The rate of his breath matched hers, it was uneven and quick, he trembled at every sound she made, every sound he heard, and she could tell.

He was as close to unraveling as she was.

"Give me more." She took a sharp breath. "Of you."

He added a finger and her legs shuddered, squeezing his hand and making it go deeper.

It wasn't fair, she thought.

On shaky hands, she sat up, with his hand still inside her, and she reached for his belt.

"What are you-"

"Shh." She said, his hands slowed, "Don't stop."

He sat back, allowing her to sit up more, but she took advantage of it and pulled herself onto his lap.

His belt gone she worked on his button, and then his zipper, and then he stopped her.

"Wait."

She whined and so he pressed his lips to hers, pulling out of her, she cried out at the absence.

He stood and let his jeans fall to the floor.

Her hands impatient, she pulled at his boxer until they too were gone, and he was as naked as her.

She looked him in his eye before they fell to his shaft, she lifted her hand, touching him and watching him quiver.

He moaned her name and it was more than enough ammunition to motivate her to take him fully in her hand, running up and down, her thumb circling the tip.

He fell to his knees and his hands were back inside of her.

"Oh!"

"Do you like that?"

"Do you like this?" She said, her hand moving faster, she leaned forward and caught his lip with her teeth, and he pressed his free hand to her breast roughly.

"Stop." He said, breathing heavily, hotly, against her mouth.

She slowed her hand, but didn't obey his request, and it made him groan.

"Ahiru."

"Fakir." She said lightly, her lips bearing down on his chest and neck, her hand quickening.

"I need to be inside you." He rasped. "God, please."

She nodded against his shoulder and she laid back.

He came between her legs, his hand brushing back the baby hair that curled around her face.

"Tell me when to stop."

She nodded.

With a tenderness only a man in love could possess, he pressed the tip of his member into her.

She moaned hotly into the night air, it didn't hurt, not the way she was promised when she was young, no, it just felt uncomfortable, but he stayed still. For her.

She lifted her leg, rubbing her thigh against his side.

He started to move, slowly, and it was sweet at first, but she was getting annoyed with it.

When he pulled back, she met him in the middle, bucking her hips into his, she wrapped her legs around his waist and he was pushed deeper inside of her.

He exhaled, but it was all he needed and his thrusts got stronger.

His hand was on her breast again, and his teeth latched onto her neck, grunting as the rhythm of his hips and hers grew faster. She met his every thrust until she couldn't, and then she arched her back, pressing her chest deeper into his hand.

She licked her lips and called his name. "Harder." She would command and he would obey.

She moaned and threw her head back until it became unbearable, she cried out for him.

"Ahiru, I'm-"

She was shaking with ecstasy, tying her legs around his waist, he thrust into her one last time, burying himself deeply inside of her finding his own pleasure, he bit her shoulder.

She was still coming down when Fakir collapsed on top of her.

She grinned and laughed, pulling at his face until she could kiss him.

"Are you okay?"

"Of course I'm okay!" Then she sighed contently. She nuzzled her nose to his. "I don't want to let you go."

His arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her tightly to him. "Why would I?"

"We have to leave at some point. Go home."

"Never."

She laughed. "Shall we stay here then? Under the moon, with you still inside of me."

He turned his head and pressed his nose into her hair. "Yes." But he pulled out of her.

"I never want to leave. But just think of what Rue will do if you don't bring me back."

"Rue can go to hell for all I care."

"Fakir!" She scolded, but laughed. "She likes you, you know."

"No she doesn't."

"She said it was nice finally having someone on verbal sparring level." Ahiru turned to look at him, diving her fingers into his hair, brushing it out of his eyes. "She has a sharp tongue."

He kissed her forehead. "I suppose it doesn't matter anymore, she's my sister-in-law now."

Ahiru giggled. "I haven't even given you my coat yet."

"Is it mine?"

"Of course."

"Then I'm yours."

Ahiru sighed contently.

"Hey, why did you quit your job?"

"My job? Oh." Ahiru turned on her side, her arms draping over his shoulders, her leg sliding over his. "Rue's moving the study to GoldCrown, I'm going to be a teacher."

He scoffed and shook his head.

She burrowed her head into his chest until it was firmly under his jaw, she felt something soft rub against her spine, and when she moved her hand to found out what it was she pulled her coat over her.

"My coat!" She smiled and sat up. "Put it on."

"It won't fit." He said.

"Yes it will!" She giggled, bouncing excitedly.

He pulled it on his arms and he marveled at how perfectly it fit his form. "It's magic."

She nodded.

"Will it still fit you?"

"No, it's yours now. It'll just be really big on me." She got on her knees and grabbed the hood and pulled it over his head. The hood, that looked like a seal's face, looked ridiculous on him and she laughed.

"What?" He smirked at her.

Ahiru shook her head. "I love it! It suits you."

He pulled her to him, a smile pressing into her lips, and when she opened her eyes, the bright, bright moon hung behind him and she knew that her life, and the future she got to live, was going to be bright.


End file.
